Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 10: The body of the man with the heart of gold, Ratan Naval Tata, a top industrialist who never figured in the list of billionaires because he donated most of his income to charity, was cremated with full state honours at the Worli crematorium in Mumbai on Thursday amidst millions paying their last respects.
“I am unable to accept” was how another top businessman Anand Mahindra reacted to the news of Ratan Tata’s death on Wednesday night, and it was also perhaps the sentiments of crores of Indians who woke up on Thursday morning to sadly learn that the industrialist who shaped the lives of lakhs of people has bidden adieu to the world.
Earlier in the Ratan Tata lay in state, wrapped in the national flag, at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point, before his body was transported to the crematorium in Worli, a distance of 12 km. Thousands lined the streets to bid goodbye to one of their own, an unassuming Mumbai-born and bred “Chhotu” who transformed the Tata brand into a global powerhouse.
Thousands of people from various backgrounds gathered at the NCPA to pay their respects on Thursday. A large number of corporate leaders, politicians, and celebrities came to honour the philanthropist and Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons. On behalf of the Indian government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid his final respects and attended the last rites.
Mr Shah stood in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was en route to Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. Mr Modi had last night hailed Mr Tata as “an extraordinary human being,” a true tribute to an unassuming industrialist who never flaunted his wealth. Mr Shah was accompanied by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
In a statement, the Congress said it “is deeply saddened by the passing of Padma Vibhushan Shri Ratan Tata, a titan of Indian industry and a philanthropist who shaped India’s corporate landscape.”
And the country’s most powerful politicians were joined by its most influential celebrities – actors and sportspersons – and the country’s richest, including the Ambanis and the Adanis, in paying their respects.
Maharashtra and Gujarat state governments have announced a day of mourning as a mark of respect for a business leader and philanthropist admired in India and abroad for his simplicity, sincerity, and humanity.
Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai late Wednesday night. He had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Monday for routine age-related checkups but was moved to intensive care just hours before his death.
He was admitted on Monday but, as was his nature, played down any fuss, declaring he was undergoing routine age-related medical check-ups. “There is no cause for concern. Thank you for thinking of me…”
Hours later, just as discreetly and quietly, the Tata family broke the news. “It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation,” the group’s Chairperson, N Chandrasekaran, said.
The UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has paid homage to Ratan Tata as a “titan” of the business world who played a huge role in shaping British industry. Reynolds took to social media to offer his tributes to the man credited with much of the Mumbai-headquartered company’s reputation as one of the largest employers in the UK. “Sad to hear about the passing of Ratan Tata. He was truly a titan of the business world and someone who played a huge role in shaping British industry,” he said.
Ratan Tata’s contributions to the industrial and development sectors, to the economy and to the lives of tens of thousands of men and women, are too many to count.
Some, perhaps, deserve mention, such as the ‘revenge’ purchase of luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, which heralded India’s arrival on the global automotive stage, and his commitment to the welfare of dogs, exemplified by the ₹ 165 crore hospital in Mumbai.
And his death unquestionably marks the end of an era; he was, perhaps, the last of his kind, someone who, despite fabulous privilege, never appeared to flaunt his wealth. He never bothered to be figured in the world list of billionaires, he quietly donated over 65 per cent of his incomes or pumped back into the industry for further growth to benefit millions of others.